In recent years, mobile wireless communications have become increasingly popular. Initial implementations of mobile wireless communications, for example in the form of cellular telephone networks, supported circuit switched voice communication services. The carriers developed short message service (SMS) technology to provide text and/or e-mail communications via the wireless communication networks. As the public wireless communication networks have evolved to provide greater bandwidth and packet based services, the industry has developed a variety of data services, such as email, web browsing, as well as a variety of services using multimedia message service (MMS) technology.
To accommodate the increasing demand in wireless services, wireless packet data communication is being provided with ever increasing transmission speed. The packet data communication allows mobile device users to expand the scope of their use of the mobile device, for example, to enjoy multimedia services at a speed comparable to those enjoyed via Internet connected personal computers (PCs). The shift from third generation (3G) to fourth generation (4G) telecommunication data services marks another significant step in providing improved data service. The transition from 3G to 4G provides improvements both for the consumer as well as the provider. For example, download speeds in 4G can be about ten times faster than 3G, sometimes reaching residential broadband service speed. Further, the frequency spectrum used in 4G can better penetrate buildings, offering better signal strength. Also, 3G networks carry voice and Internet traffic while 4G networks are configured for Internet content, thereby reducing their footprint, complexity, and energy consumption. In this regard, 4G cell sites are typically a quarter to half the size of a 3G site and provide about five times better energy efficiency. In some estimates, the overall cost of operating a 4G network is 1/50 that of the 3G network.
Although both user and provider benefit from 4G technology, it is not sufficiently widespread in many areas. Therefore, until a complete transition to 4G occurs, many 4G mobile devices provide backward compatibility to 3G. Thus, despite 4G capability of a mobile device, it may still operate in 3G when the 4G signal is weak or non-existent, or simply stuck in 3G. Switching between the two networks creates a considerable lag as the mobile device reconnects. For example, every time there is a switch between 4G to 3G (or in reverse), a traffic channel is established between the mobile device and the respective network. In this regard, the associated subscriber account is authenticated and/or validated. Accordingly, a substantial amount of signaling (i.e., “handshaking”) is typically performed between a mobile device and the respective network in order to facilitate communication through the network, which is not only network resource intensive but also degrades the user mobile device experience through slow performance or even loss of streamed data.
Further, while switching to 3G from 4G may be automatic, switching back is based on signal conditions. Even if switching to 4G were automatic, the mobile device may toggle back and forth between 3G and 4G as it tries to connect, consuming valuable network resources and draining mobile device battery in the process.